The Doc Says my Breasts are Dense, Now What?

Dense breasts.  40-50% of all women have dense breasts and the denser the breast, the more difficult it is to find the abnormalities in a mammogram. Breast density is not something you can feel...like when you have fibrocystic breasts (I once had a doctor explain this as feeling like grapes in a ziploc bag). This is not the same. Breast density is a condition you can only see on the mammogram.

So what's the issue? Dense breast tissue shows up white on a mammogram. Guess what else shows up white? Calcifications. Cancer. Even benign tumors. Needless to say, the mammogram is difficult to decipher and less accurate when there is dense breast tissue.

As of April 1, 2013, Senate Bill 1538 went into effect and now the law requires doctors to inform women who have dense breasts that the mammogram may not be sufficient. The law is simply ensuring that women are made aware of their breast density.

How does the medical community measure breast density? There is no standard.

L-R: Wayne Watson, Dr. James Maxwell, Dr. Amy Bremner,
Carole Conrad

So you have dense breasts...now what? Well, screening mammograms miss 20-30% of cancer and the majority of those missed are women with dense breasts. Mammograms are still considered the best screening test even if you have dense breasts. However, now that you will be made aware of your breast density, you can work with your doctor to determine if additional screenings are needed. MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) is the next step. Why not an ultrasound? Ultrasounds are best for investigative work once a problematic area is discovered by a screening tool, like a mammogram or a MRI.

Self Breast Exams are still one of the best tools and you know your body better than anyone. Check your breasts monthly. Get your annual screenings. Most of all, get educated and be your own health advocate.

Michelle's Place Breast Cancer Resource Center would like to thank Dr. Amy Bremner and Dr. James Maxwell for their informative, candid presentation on Breast Density.